Connor Family Tree
by liveAllielive
Summary: A new stranger arrives in the form of a 16 sixteen year old girl. Who is she? What's her connection to John and Cameron?
1. Running Home

Disclaimer: I'm not James Cameron or even Josh Freidman or that other dude

**Disclaimer:** I'm not James Cameron or even Josh Freidman or that other dude. Nope, I just a girl with her stories of other peoples characters that I don't own.

**Chapter song: **_Home- The Dangerous Summer_

**Chapter 1: Running Home**

I was running. Everything was so blurry. It felt like I had detached my stomach and left it somewhere else. It took me awhile to figure out where I was. The past. Not my past. That's for sure. This world looked so new. Not like the one I come from.

Even the air smelt newer. I'd heard stories of the world when it was like this but I never could even begin to imagine.

I finally realized that I was on a busy highway at night. And I was still running—naked.

One of the many draw backs of time travel.

I decided to come out the shadows. I had to. There's no way I could run all the way to their house. As soon as I did this a gold sedan skidded to a halt. There was just one male inside. Without a weapon I had to hope beyond hope that I would at least frighten this man by the sheer fact that I looked like a crazy running around on the highway naked.

"Get out!" Surprised at how hoarse my voice sounded. I swung the door open as hard as I could. The man got out willingly. This man made me laugh a bit as I drove away, he would never last a minute were I come from.

I drove until I found some sort of clothing store. Of course it was closed given the late hour.

There was a rock in a make-shift garden near the store. I picked it up and threw it in the window's dead center. As I expected the alarm immediately went off. So I grabbed the first thing I saw and ran.

The car was still waiting for me once I had my clothes on. I knew where I was going. _He _always told me if I ever had to go back this is where _they'd _be.

Driving wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. My mother always made sure that I knew the rules of the road, even though we didn't have a need for them in the future. She taught me them just in case I needed to go down time. _My mother_,I thought to myself, she always took every precaution that was possible. I wonder what her younger-self would be like. Would she look like me? In the future she did, but the war wore her out. But she tried her best not to let in get to her.

The future was rough on all of us. But all of our stressors paled in comparison to my father's. The man seriously looked like he was caring the weight of the world on his shoulders --scratch that--the weight of the universe on his shoulders. I also wonder what he was like nowadays. Soon I would see them both. "This is gonna be weird" I said to myself.

I pulled up into a driveway. Mom had given me the location of the house they were staying in at this point in the timeline. The house was fairly large to me. I could see lights were on upstairs. I decided to park my car and approach the front door.

A woman answered right after the first ring. Dark hair, brown eyes, mid to late thirties.

Crows feet were forming near her eyes like mom's. She seem very hostile with one hand behind her back. _Most likely a gun_ was the first thing that came to my mind. I knew exactly who this was and she wasn't my mother.

"Can I help you?" she probably thought I was crazy just standing here not saying anything. I made sure to clear my voice so I wouldn't sound as harsh as it did with that man.

"Sarah Connor?" It was better not to beat around the bush.

"Who wants to know?" I saw her grip on the gun tighten and decided to give her the answer the fastest way I knew how. I rolled up my left sleeve of my sweatshirt and showed her my work camp brand.

"I was sent by John." Next thing I knew I was being pulled in the forayer.

"Derek!" Oh great let's get my great uncle who absolutely ignores me in on this little powwow. Well its not like he even knows he's my uncle.

"What Sa—What are you doing here?" He looked totally bewildered.

* * *

**Author's Note: **All right. I have like half of the second chapter finish, so give me a couple of reviews and I'll post it. I pretty much have the whole thing outlined so I want to warn ya'll that the rating will most likely change to **M **to be safe. Oh, and one more thing, this _is _my first fanfic _ever_. So I'm sorry if its not up to par. I promise I get better and chapter two to me is _AMAZING!_


	2. Not Expected

Disclaimer: It ain't mine people

**Disclaimer: **It ain't mine people.

**Author's Notes: **Wow you guys are pretty much AWESOME! I never imagine this much positive feedback. I want to thank everyone who reviewed or even subscribed to my story (I didn't even know you could do that until now…. I know I'm a looser). Any who, I want to say sorry for not posting faster. I know it's only a day but I definitely thought it would be sooner than today. I was planning on staying up late and getting it done since today is a teacher planning day, but my keyboard completely froze up for some odd reason. But hey thank god for teachers and there planning days!

**Chapter Song: **_We Are Broken - Paramore_

**Chapter Two: **Not Expected

I could almost taste the venom coming out of his voice. "He sent me…Oh and thanks for the warm welcome" I said this with as much vile as I could muster. _God, I hate Derek. _And I'm pretty sure that it was clear to Sarah.

"You need to go back!" He barked.

"Huh that's funny lasted time I checked _General _Connor out ranked you, so I 'm sticking to his orders." The man seriously deserved everything I threw at him. The only time he wasn't a jerk to me or my mother was when my dad was around and that's only because he totally knew my dad would have his head if he even so much as look at us crooked.

Next thing I knew he was yanking at my left arm. I'll have to admit that I thought engage into some kind of sick combat between a sixteen year old girl and a thirty something solider.

But instead he just looked at it. I was very confused until I realized what he was looking at. My brand.

"This is new" For a minute I actually thought I saw true concern in his eyes.

"Yeah well so is that" I poked at his slightly bulging belly. _Jeez what did he do here all day? Eat hotdogs? _I had other reasons for changing the subject. To be honest looking at the damn thing or even talking about it for that matter made me sick. It was a remainder of torturing I wish to forget.

"I…" Derek made an effort for a rebuttal, but it was cut short.

"Enough! Both of you!" Wow who knew she had such a set of pipes.

But not even a yelling Sarah Connor could frighten me like the sound coming from the next room. A shotgun was cocked. Growing up around weapons you never get used to that sound unless you're the one making it.

But fear was the last thing I felt once I saw _her._ There she was right there in front of me.

She was beautiful. Nothing could compare to her. Not even me. But we were very similar in different ways. We had the same long brown hair. The same button nose. But my eyes were not the chocolate pools that were hers. Mine seem to have a touch of green in them. I'd seen these features of her's in the future but everything seem to be intensified.

There she was. Caring the shotgun. I watched her as she scaned the room. Her blank gaze lingered on mine for a second longer than anyone else's.

"I heard elevated voices. I came to access the situation." She spoke with no emotion at all. This made me chuckle to myself a bit.

"Its fine, Cameron" Sarah breathed out. She was starting to seem a little frustrated.

We all seemed to be popped out our little bubble when we heard a door slam up stairs.

Followed by footsteps. I could tell they were more than one set. "Mom?" it was a voice of a young male. But who was he with. From the corner of my eye I could see my mom placing the shotgun behind a couch.

I found out soon enough when two teenagers emerged. I could definitely tell which one was John Connor, my father. Probably in a room full of teenagers I would be able to ID him. The guy looked seriously stressed. Just like his future-self but not quite. Remember how I said dad looked like he was caring the weight of the universe on his shoulders, well this kid looked like he was caring the weight of a small country around with him.

The other one was another story. It was a girl. A little on the short side. She had crazy blonde hair. Our eyes met and stay locked for awhile. At least until my vision of her got blocked by a sea of brown hair. I refocused my eyes to what it was and I saw Cameron slightly standing in front of me almost in a protective way. This made me wonder _does she know who I am? _But my thoughts were cut short when Sarah spoke.

"John we have a visitor." Gesturing towards me but giving him a knowing look all in the same. John seem to know were she was getting at without conveying it aloud.

John turn to the blonde "Come on Riley, I'll take you home."

"No John we need you here." Sarah had a rather annoyed look on her face.

"That's cool I'll just take myself home." Riley finally spoke but seem even more annoyed than Sarah. But then she went to give John a kiss on the cheek but he deflected her. Everyone in the room caught this. Even Derek chuckle a little at this. And I could swear I saw a smile spread across Cameron's face.

John tried to give her a weak smile. She looked totally frustrated. "Goodbye John"

She turned and then twitched off out the door slamming it behind her.

"Who was that?" I blurted out.

"Better yet who are you?" John glared at me with much intensity.

The way he was looking at me made me feel extremely nervous. _God-- what the hell did I do to him?_

"What's your name?" Sarah spoke before I could respond to John's question

"Grace" Cameron and Derek both said it at once.

Derek turn to Cameron so fast I thought he would have whiplash. "What else do you know about her?"

Cameron look at me then back at him "First name: Grace, Last name: Unknown, Age: 16 years, Related Family: Unknown, Personality Description : Unknown."

"Is that it?" Derek asked.

Once again Cameron looked to me back to him. "Yes."

"So why are you here?" John questioned.

I cleared my throat and began " I'm with the resistance. I was sent by you, John. He said that this would be a safe place."

John snorted. "No where is safe."

"Derek, do you know her?" Sarah asked.

This time it was Derek who snorted "Yeah she's….Uh a friend's daughter. He's a solider."

I was shock by the way Derek covered for me but honestly I was too exhausted to care.

"Look is there a way we could chat about this tomorrow? I really could use some rested."

"Uh yeah…sure. You can sleep..." Sarah was cut before she could think of what to say.

"She can sleep in my room." Cameron stated.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes. I have no use for the bed. I don't sleep."

"Alright it's settled then Grace bunks with Cameron." Sarah look a little relived.

"Whatever, I'm going to bed." John stated this making everyone realize he was still there.

_Wow, who knew dad was such a bitter kid?_

Later that night, in the dead of my sleep I felt something cold on my arm. Maybe I was just dreaming this, but never the less it made me shot up for my sleep with a gasp.

I looked at my left arm. It was hard to tell but I seem to some sort of cold ooze on it.

"What the hell?" I said as I examined it.

"It's antibacterial cream"

"Aghh!" I gasped a little again. "Cameron?"

She turned on a light. "Your Brand looked like it still needed healing."

I let out breath. "Thank you. But you could've asked first."

She looked at me with that blank face that I wasn't used to. "Oh. Thank you for explaining."

That face reminded me of earlier this evening. "Cameron, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Did you lie? To Derek I mean. When he ask you if that was all you knew about me?"

She stared at me for awhile and I held my breath. "Yes" she replied.

If it was even possible my breath drew in even deeper. I look her square in the eyes and asked "What did you lie about?"

She took longer to respond than the last time. Seeming to be confused by her thoughts.

"My files say that I have a mission that you are involved with."

Now I was confused this was not what I expected but I was still curious.

"So…what's the mission?"

She tilted her head to the side and looked me straight in the eyes. "To protect you"

**Author Notes: **Jeez! That took longer than expected. I hope the ending of the chapter didn't suck. I was starting to get really tired. Anyways REVIEW PLEASE. They keep me energized. And all ways good to know what ya'll think! I do want to say that a few chapters from now I think I'm go into John's POV or something, because I definitely want to capture those John and Cameron moments (there's gonna be a ton!) Thanks for everything, Allie.

_P.S. _**accko: **I'll PM you back as soon as I get the feeling back in my legs from sitting in this chair for so long.


	3. Fried Eggs and Spilled Beans

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of these T:SCC characters, except for Grace. But hey, I'd take her over a whiny John any day.

**Author's notes: **Okay, please don't shoot me. I'm sorry for taking more than a month to update. I'm not even going to start making excuses because all of them will sound lame anyway. Let me just say that I'm sorry and I'll try EVERYTHING in my power not to ever do that again. With that be said I enjoyed every bit of support I received from your reviews.

**Dre4mwe4ever:** I do plan to compare the two couples throughout the story.

**Maggie Moony**: Let me just say I love your name. And I'm glad that you like Grace.

**Himtima24:** I hope I'm going in the direction you'll like.

**FMAfan10:** I know what you mean, I've been waiting for somebody to write a story like this for awhile. I've kinda have the idea since summer. I guess I just decided to write it myself.

**DirtRider 712:** Don't worry I can't stand Riley either. I knew she was trouble from the moment she said apples and carrots.

**Sanestar:** Thanks for the re-energization (is that even a word)!!!

Okay please remember to review. They make me happy and they tell me that I'm doing something right. Alright since I was gone for so long I decided to give a special prize to someone. So here's the deal, an author on here who writes T:SCC fics helped me a great deal with this chapter. If you can guess who it was I'll give you a preview of the next chapter. Just PM me your answer.

**Chapter Song:** Crooked Teeth – Death Cab For Cutie

**Chapter Three:** Fried Eggs and Spilled Beans

The sun's rays streaming in from the window woke me up. A quick glance at the clock told me it was a little after 7. I rolled over on the bed and still felt a little odd getting to sleep on a such a soft bed because all of the beds where I came from were very lumpy and usually rather hard.

I could hear noises coming from other parts of the house and guessed that a few others were up. Cameron had to be one of them and I was willing to bet that both Derek and Sarah were up as well but with the way John was acting I figured he had to still be in bed. Lord knew that I would love to stay in bed all day and do nothing but I never got to do that unless I was injured or hurt since there was a never ending supply of work to do and General Connor always said, "If you can move you can do something."

This time was so strange and different from where I came from. I was once asked _'What is my strongest childhood memory?'_ For most people they would give a nice story that involved their family or friends and it was always very happy and upbeat. They used those stories to help give them hope that what they were fighting for was really worth it.

However, for those of us like me, dubbed the lost generation, we all had the same memory burned and seared into our very souls, Judgment Day. Terrible isn't it? That day will forever be imprinted upon my soul. The smell of burnt flesh throughout the land, the screams of the people suffering and dying all around us, and the way my mom and dad tried to shield me from everything trying in vain to spare me the horrors of it all but it was an impossible task. It was the worst day of my life – the worst day in history and I still remember it as clear as yesterday.

Now don't feel sorry for me and worry that I never had any good memories in my life because I did. If you were to ask me, _'What's your second strongest memory?'_ I would tell you that it was the Saturday mornings I spent with my dad before all the bombs fell. These were the mornings I spent cooking with him and even thought I was really little I am still able to remember every little detail of all those times. Dad always told me to take in as much of life as I could and while he never told me why I understood him after Judgment Day came and went.

I can still close my eyes and remember the smell of pancake batter and me being on his shoulders as he stood next to the stove and flipped the pancakes. He would always tickle my bare feet and I would start to scream and giggle because I am extremely ticklish even to this day. Mom would just give us a quite smile and you could always see the warmth and enjoyment sparkling in her eyes as she watched us. What was really funny about it is that he told me hated to eat them because his mom was a bad cook but if I was around he loved to eat them with me. I always felt incredibly loved and still look back upon those days when I need to feel happiness in my life.

I sat up and looked at the end of the bed and saw a set of clothes. Dark jeans and a gray v-neck. They were Cameron's clothes. On the other side of the bed lay a toothbrush. _Wow, _I thought to myself, _she really thought of everything._

As I got ready for the day I decided I wanted to try and return the favor to my dad and try to give him some of the happiness that he had given to me. However, I didn't want to make him pancakes right away and instead figured that some fried bacon and eggs would be a good start.

He seemed so unhappy and stressed with his life at the moment , I felt I had to do something for him and I have to thank my parents for never telling me what was coming. I had always wondered why they didn't but one look at him and I knew why.

Thinking of this made me remember last night. Cameron had told me that she needed to protect me. It was just like Mom to say this. But I knew what really was going on with her. She had been programmed to protect me. When Dad and Mom found her younger self, they locked themselves in a room for days programming and reprogramming her. They wouldn't let me see her. They said it was a security risk. I knew that they were preparing to send her back to protect the younger version of Dad, but I didn't know they were programming her to protect me too incase I came back. _I guess that explains how she knew my name but not who I really was._

In the future, not a lot of people knew who I was. Only Dad's best soldiers. The ones he knew that if they were ever tortured to death they'd still never give away my identity to anyone. There were only a hand full of people that knew including Kyle and Derek. But even they never knew that I was related to them.

As I tipped toed to the kitchen I could make the voices of Sarah and Derek talking to each other and as soon as I opened the door they both looked up a me and stopped talking. Apparently, I was the subject of the conversation.

"How did you sleep?", asked Sarah nervously.

"Fine. Is it okay if I make some breakfast for ya'll," I asked in a calm tone.

Sarah just looked at me for a few seconds before moving out the way so I could get to the frig. Her and Derek both left without saying another word. Something was up. My head started spinning when I noticed Cameron come up to me.

"You should have showered. Hygiene is very important," she informed me in a business like tone. This was somewhat funny to me. In the future she always got straight to the point but she did in a more comforting and polite way.

"I'm going to take a shower after I'm done cooking," I told her. She just nodded to me and then walked over to the living room to sit near a big window. I watched her as she stared out onto the yard blankly.

I turned back to the food totally enraptured in thought and not burning the eggs when I heard someone approach the kitchen.

"What are you cooking?", John asked.

"Ah! Don't do that?", I replied breathlessly.

"A little too focused there, huh. Well, it does smell good but that looks like a lot of food for just you," he informed me.

"It isn't just for me. I made it mostly to cheer you up.", I told him with a smile.

His face took on a look of surprise and he looked over at all the food that I was shoveling onto the plates. He sat down at the table and gave me a grateful smile. My chest tighten up as my heart warmed.

I put down three plates at the table and jerked my head over to where Cameron was sitting in the living room "Think she'll want some of this?"

He laughed "I doubt it."

He turned his gaze towards he before he finally dug in.

I saw his eyes get wide for a spilt second. I thought this might mean he didn't like it so I slowed down on eating my food (not really realizing how hunger I was) and watched him more closely. At first I thought he didn't like the food at all, but as he kept chewing a smile grew across his face.

"This is really good." He said in between bites.

It was my turn to laugh. He looked so happy that the food was actually good. "I'm glad you like it."

"My mom isn't much of a cook." He shoveled another pile into his mouth.

"What about Cameron?"

I saw his smile lessen a bit. "She's not really into food." He looked from his plate to the living room where she sat still staring out the window. It was so hard to read him. His gaze was a mix of curiosity, sorrow, hurt, and anger. I wasn't sure but maybe somewhere I saw love in that gaze of his. _Maybe…_

I watched him burn holes in her for awhile until I finally bought him back to Earth. "That's too bad." We sat there in silence. I started eating again after a few seconds so did he.

I lifted my head up a bit when I heard the sound of boots hitting the hard wood floor. Cameron was walking towards us.

"Why did you provide me with food?", she asked.

I wasn't expecting that from her. She always ate in the future and she had often told me that she began to enjoy the process even though she didn't need to eat much if any. I hadn't thought that she didn't currently eat like she did but perhaps it was a meal like this that changed her mind in the past.

"Well, in the future you always eat," I told her.

She considered this for a moment . Then she finally sat down at the table in place where I put her plate. She looked at me then John. They didn't say anything to each other, just stared for a couple of seconds, before she picked up the fork and started eating. I looked at John and threw him smirk. He looked right back at me and couldn't help but smile.

_We're such a dysfunctional family, _I thought to myself. _Dysfunctional_. _But still family. _Even if I was the only one to know that we were.

We all ate in silence. I had to say I was shoveling every bit in mouth. I guess I hadn't realized just how hungry I was.

"A bit hungry there?," asked John.

"Totally. I just didn't realize it until now," I replied.

"Well that's fine. Hey, thanks for cooking something that was enjoyable." he spoke with genuine enjoyment in his voice.

I gave him a smile of thanks and looked over to Cameron. She had finished eating herself and hadn't left anything on her plate.

"Did you like my cooking?", I asked her.

"I did not dislike it," she told me.

Well, it was a good start. John went to get some more orange juice to drink and I decided it would be a good time to ask him about that girl I saw last night.

"John, can I ask you a question?", I spoke.

"Sure.", he replied.

"Who was that blond chick from last night?", I asked.

"She is just a friend of mine," he told me guardedly.

Well there was something there and I wasn't sure if I should push it or not but you know what they say., nothing ventured nothing gained.

"Does she at least have a name?", I inquired.

"Her name is Riley"

Hmm, Riley. Well, I guess that is better than all of the names I was thinking of calling her but I now I had a name to put with the face of my hated enemy.

"Is she your girlfriend?", I tried to say this in a very casual way.

He started to choke on his orange juice and I was sure that I hit a nerve. While he may not see her that way it was apparent that there was still something there he didn't want others to know.

"WHAT....NO!", he half yelled at me.

"Well, she seems to think there is a little bit more going on," I told him.

"Whatever. Thanks for the breakfast but I'm going to take off now," he said with a bit of anger.

I was just about to follow him when my mom turned and looked and me.

"Go get cleaned up. I will look after John," she informed me.

I could tell by the look in her eyes that arguing with her would be useless as it always was. I nodded my head and made my way to the bathroom. I dug out some towels and figured that the clothes I was already wearing would be fine since I had only worn them for about an hour. In the future getting clean clothes was a major luxury so it seemed wrong to want to change clothes after only wearing them for an hour at most.

I hoped in the shower after letting the water warm up and let out a sigh of complete happiness. Getting a warm bath or shower was so rare in the future.

I finished cleaning up and got out of the shower feeling really good. I took a brush and slowly began working it through the mess that was my hair. It took quite a bit of time to get all the knots undone and have the brush flow freely through my hair but once it was done I marveled at how nice it looked. I haven't looked this since I was about six years old and it make tears well up in my eyes.

As I was wiping away my tears when I heard a knock on the bathroom door. I Open it and saw Sarah and Derek leaning against the wall behind her.

"We need to talk. You and You on the porch now." She pointed to me and Derek and stomped off.

Derek and I met her on the back porch. She seemed kind of pissed for some reason.

Derek was the first to speak. "Alright, Sarah. Let's hear it"

Sarah shot right back at him. "I want to know who she is. For real this time. No lies."

It was my turn to speak now. "What are you talking about?" Sometimes playing dumb is the best route.

I saw Sarah start to say something but Derek cut her off. "No Grace. We can tell her."

"Derek…" _Jeez. Just like him to spill the beans._

"Tell me what?," she spat.

There was no getting out of this one. Derek was looking at me like he expected me to say something. I could feel the tears surfacing. I took a deep breath and spoke the truth. "My name Sarah Grace Connor and I am your granddaughter."

**Author's note:** I want to take time out and thank the writer that help me so much. Without you I would be a total mess.

I also want to tell ya'll ahead of time that the next chapter will be from a 3rd person POV.

Anyways tell me what you think! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW.


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